I am still learning about weather in Durham, so what follows may provoke raucous laughter among those who know the city better. It suddenly feels like spring. There are rabbits in my garden again. The first frills of green are appearing on trees and bushes. Most delightfully, as I walked into the Pitcairn Building this morning, I could feel the very gentle warmth of the sun on my face. Granted, the wind soon made me regret that I had left my overcoat at home, but it was a lovely moment.

I am feeling optimistic. The reappearance of rabbits in my garden made a big difference. As a child, I enjoyed Richard Adams' Watership Down as much as my own children adore Harry Potter. So, any Southie who recognises the names Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig will grasp why leporine quadrupeds makes me smile. However, even the rabbits take second place to the prospect of a College Day and a Summer Ball.

The Prime Minister has revealed his plans to ease Covid restrictions in England. I confess that I find it hard to get intensely excited that I may be permitted to meet a friend for coffee on 8 March - provided it is not raining and we can find a park bench.

The pandemic has produced many surprises, few of them entirely pleasant, but this week our pandemic brought us pancakes, and for this I am very grateful. The socially distanced queue of Southies who waited patiently for their pancake was a delight to behold. The pancakes themselves brought additional revelations.

I shall always remember the week beginning Sunday 7th February 2021 as the week of the Igloo. When Richard announced that he was planning to build a house out of snow, I did not realise the scale of his ambition.

Your Principal has had an interesting week. On Thursday I learned that I have been appointed to the Editorial Board of The Conversation, the charitable media outlet that publishes news stories written by academic researchers. I have long been a fan this title that one admirer calls 'a crucial channel for academics seeking to share their research knowledge with the world'.

My sincere thanks to Southies resident in College for your good conduct this past week. Keeping yourselves and our community safe during this pandemic imposes severe restrictions on our liberty. By complying with the rules, you set a fine example.

Ducks appear to have taken up full time residence around South College Pond. Whether they are attracted by Oswald's avian presence or simply by the outstanding architecture I know not. It may simply be that the College's reduced population makes it a quieter place to live. No matter, they are most welcome, and I greet them with a smile every time I walk into College in the morning.

It was the week in which Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, achieved the unique indignity of becoming the only occupant of that office to be impeached twice. I share the disquiet felt by those members of the House of Representatives who voted to impeach him that Mr Trump remains America's Commander in Chief. For me, the inauguration of his successor will be a moment of real joy and relief.

The end of our first term as a member of Durham's family of colleges is a historic moment. We have much to be proud of.

It was the week in which hope returned. A working vaccine has been approved for use in the UK. I hope there are no anti-vaxxers in South College. The absence of reason required to dismiss good science is incompatible with the intellectual ability required to study at this great University. However, for the elimination of doubt, please be entirely confident that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has passed all the rigorous tests required to be prescribed for human use in the UK.

It was the week in which Donald Trump crawled resentfully towards understanding that he really will not be President of the United States after 20th January 2021. In the UK, Chancellor Rishi Sunak made plain the colossal borrowing required to fund furlough and give our economy a chance of recovery. Meanwhile an excellent Durham University team came from behind to stun Edinburgh University and take a very well-deserved place in the last sixteen of University Challenge.